Experience Japanese history directly

Bonsai is a work of art that creates magnificent natural scenery in a hachi (small pot). Shunkaen BONSAI Museum in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo was created in 2002 from the desire of Kunio Kobayashi, a bonsai artist and recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award, one of the three grand prizes of Japan, and the Higashi-Kuninomiya Culture Award, to deeply spread bonsai to the world. Over 1,000 bonsai line a garden with a pond where carp gracefully swim and a majestic Japanese house. Each hachi (pot) has different style, all of which are beautiful and have a dignified appearance. The museum also offers classes (for a fee and available in English and Chinese) where you can experience the charm of bonsai. Classes can be booked three days in advance. All you have to bring is yourself as tools and training bonsai are provided. Since you may take completed bonsai home with you for an additional fee, drop by and experience the beauty of bonsai.

We are the Indigo Dyeing and Weaving Studio Wanariya. We are located just 10 minutes walk from Sensō-ji and Kappabashi! Here at our studio, you can create your own indigo dyed item or woven item that is unique in the world. We offer workshops to a wide range of visitors, from small children of age 4 and older to senior citizens. There is no such thing as failure when it comes to indigo dyeing and weaving! Instead, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself. There is no need to bring anything with you, and you can take your creation home with you on the day! Each creation can be completed in between 60 and 90 minutes, though there is some variation between individuals. We hope to see you here!

The Old Town District of Hida Takayama prospered as both a castle town and merchant town during the Edo period, and the three historical streets passing through Kamicho and Shimocho are designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Rows of lattice-shuttered houses and sake breweries line the streets with small canals flowing before them, offering a chance to slip back in time to the Edo period. Stroll through the historic streets that transform with the changing seasons and take in the scenery deeply rooted in the traditions of Hida Takayama. Along the way, savor local specialties such as Hida Beef and browse for unique souvenirs and traditional crafts at local stores.

Magome-juku is the 43rd post station, or Shukuba, along the 69 Stations of the Nakasendo that stretches from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto. It is the southernmost post station among the 11 stations along the Kiso road, a section of the historic Nakasendo route.
Magome Juku has been awarded a one-star rating by the Michelin Green Guide Japan.

Following a steep mountain ridge, the post station features inns and restaurants arrayed along a sloping stone-paved road stretching approximately 600 meters.
The cobblestone streets are lined with old, lattice-windowed residential houses, museums, tea houses, and souvenir shops on both sides, a scene that very much resembles how the post town looked in the Edo period hundreds of years ago.

Enjoy a factory tour or a matcha tea making workshop at this matcha tea maker that has been in business since the Taisho era (1912 - 1926). At Aoi Seicha, our specialist advisors guide you in the hopes that you can deepen your knowledge of matcha tea. We recommend this tour and workshop not only for lovers of matcha tea, but for excursions with family or friends, as part of the itinerary for travel agents, and for corporate training programs.

This railway museum is operated by JR Central. The museum presents the evolution of high speed rail technology with a focus on the Tokaido Shinkansen, but also featuring exhibits covering conventional train lines and the SCMaglev. Exhibits include three trains that set new world speed records in their respective times, a variety of trains from retro steam locomotives to successive generations of trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, and 39 actual cars from the SCMaglev train. Other popular exhibits include a realistic and impressive simulator that lets you experience actually operating an N700 Shinkansen from the driver's compartment, and a simulator that lets you pretend to be the conductor on a conventional train as you open and close the doors and make onboard announcements. In additon, there is also a diorama that recreates the scenery along the length of the Tokaido Shinkansen route and a miniature theater that lets you experience speeds of 500 kilometers per hour on the SCMaglev virtually.

The Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya features the implements used by lords throughout the history of the Owari Tokugawa Family, the most senior of the three branches of the Tokugawa family, or Gosanke, based around the Sunpu Owakemono, or the Treasures of the Tokugawa Family, a collection of precious items passed down to Tokugawa Yoshinao, 9th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This collection of over 10,000 artifacts, including no less than 9 National Treasures such as the Genji Monogatari Emaki (The Tale of Genji Scroll) and the Hatsune no Chodo (Hatsune Furnishings), conveys the essence of Japanese culture and the spirit that it cultivated to the present day. The museum is engaged in a wide variety of activities as a hub for communicating about culture and Japanese beauty to fhe future.